The ship eventually reached a remote volcanic island. Jagged mountains rose above the coastline, and the air smelled of smoke and sulphur. The sailors refused to travel farther inland, warning Alan and Hannah that the mountains were inhabited by creatures that had hunted travellers for generations.
As they disembarked, Alan noticed bones scattered among the rocks. Some belonged to animals; others were unmistakably human.
He remembered stories his father had once told him about goblins.
"They live in caves and mountains," King Prometheus had explained during Alan's childhood. "They are small compared with giants, but do not mistake their size for weakness. They are clever, cruel and often more dangerous in groups."
Alan and Hannah travelled along the mountain path. The terrain became increasingly difficult, with steep slopes, loose stones and thorny vegetation. Their progress slowed as the trail narrowed between two cliffs.
They soon heard a faint cry.
"Help! Somebody, please!"
They followed the sound and discovered a woman chained to a large rock. Her clothes were torn, and her wrists were bruised. She introduced herself as Miss Savile.
"Please help me," she begged. "The goblins captured me."
Alan examined the chain. It was unusually thick, and ordinary stones could barely scratch its surface.
"Do you have a key?" Hannah asked.
Miss Savile shook her head.
Alan tried striking the chain with his sword, but the metal barely moved. His hands began to hurt from the repeated blows.
"We need another way," Hannah said.
She examined the chain and noticed that it was attached to an iron ring fixed into the rock. Rather than attacking the chain itself, she helped Alan loosen the stone around the ring. After several attempts, the iron fastening came free.
Miss Savile was released.
She thanked them and explained that she lived in a village on the other side of the mountain. She also told them about two girls who lived nearby, Carlo and Mabo. They were sisters, but Mabo had always been jealous of Carlo.
Miss Savile recounted a strange incident that had taken place in their village.
One evening, their mother discovered that the household had run out of flour. She asked Mabo to take wheat to the mill, but Mabo refused and insisted that Carlo should go instead.
Carlo loaded the wheat onto a donkey and travelled to the mill. By the time she arrived, a long queue had formed. She waited patiently until sunset, when the miller finally fell asleep before grinding her wheat.
At midnight, she heard footsteps.
A group of goblins entered the mill.
"We will eat Carlo!" they shouted.
Carlo was frightened, but she quickly realised that the goblins were easily distracted.
"You cannot eat me while I am wearing these dirty clothes," she said.
The goblins immediately ran away and returned with beautiful clothes.
"Now we will eat Carlo!"
"Not while I am barefoot."
They brought her shoes.
"Not without a warm coat."
They brought her a fur coat. Carlo continued asking for gloves, an umbrella and other items. The goblins, eager to prepare a meal, kept obeying her.
At dawn, a rooster crowed.
The goblins screamed and fled, for they could not survive the sunlight. Carlo returned home with her wheat and all the gifts they had brought her.
Mabo grew jealous. She later went to the mill herself, hoping to receive even more gifts. But unlike Carlo, she could not outwit the creatures. The goblins attacked her and injured her face.
Alan immediately understood why Miss Savile had mentioned the sisters.
"Where are they now?" he asked.
"Near the village," she replied. "Mabo is being treated, but the goblins still roam the mountains."
The group continued towards the village. Before long, they heard screaming from a nearby path.
They rushed towards it and found Mabo surrounded by several goblins. She was trying to protect her face, while the creatures clawed at her clothes.
Alan drew his sword and charged.
The first goblin fell before it could turn around. Hannah struck another with the flat of her blade, knocking it against a rock. The remaining creatures scattered, but Alan pursued them until they disappeared into a narrow cave.
He did not follow.
He had learned that entering an unfamiliar cave without understanding its layout was a foolish risk.
Instead, he returned to Mabo and helped her to her feet.
Carlo was waiting in the village. When she saw her sister's injuries, she rushed towards her. Despite their disagreements, she was deeply concerned.
Mabo apologised for her jealousy. Carlo forgave her and shared half of the gifts she had received from the goblins. Their mother was grateful to Alan and Hannah and rewarded them with six thousand gold coins.
Alan accepted only what they needed for the journey.
That evening, he and Hannah sat beside the village fire. She teased him about how easily he had charged into danger.
"You seem to believe every problem can be solved with a sword."
"Not every problem," Alan replied.
"Then what about the goblins?"
"I used my head first. I chose not to chase them into a cave."
Hannah smiled.
"Perhaps you are learning."
Alan looked at the flames.
"Perhaps."
The next morning, they left the village and continued towards the mainland. The mountains gradually disappeared behind them, but the journey was far from over.